Joe Dog Software

wackyd (pronounced wacky-dee) is a daemon that controls the LED lights on your extended keyboard. By default it sets the lights in motion in a Knight Rider pattern. Knight Rider was a very stupid American television show. Its only redeeming social value was, of course, the blinking lights. To wackyd that pattern looks like this: xoo,oxo,oox,oxo

wackyd implements the WACKY protocol which allows it to serve as a notification system. It listens for instructions on a remote port. You’ve got mail? Change the keyboard pattern. You want to let a co-worker know that the boss is coming? Change HIS keyboard pattern. The possibilites are endless…

libwacky is a C library which supports the WACKY protocol. Bundled with the library is another program, wackyp, which allows one to send commands to a wackyd. libwacky and wackyp were designed to allow wacky users an easy means to communicate with a wackyd. Use the library to automate notification processes. Or to bug your friends, family and co-workers.

WACKY/1.0 protocol is the basis for the implementation of keyboard notification. The protocol is similar to HTTP. The client establishes a TCP connection and issues a series of commands followed by two returns which notifiy the server of the end of its instructions. The server reads those commands, parses the light blinking pattern, logs any messages and closes the connection.

PLATFORM SUPPORT
Currently, wackyd runs only on GNU/Linux. Platform specific programming is required to port the daemon to other operating systems. (Consider this a call to arms; your assistance is appreciated.) libwacky, on the other hand, runs on most POSIX compliant operating system. So while wackyd currently runs only on GNU/Linux, wacky messages can be sent to it from most operating systems.